BY ROBERT MCFARLAND, JR.
Delta Business Journal

  Viking Range Corporation in Greenwood, the originator of professional type appliances for the home, has announced that it has purchased the 84-inch high built-in refrigeration product line developed and manufactured by Amana.
  Amana, an operating unit of Goodman Holding Company of Houston, the world's largest privately held manufacturer of heating and air conditioning equipment, presently manufactures Viking built-in refrigeration on an OEM basis. A Letter of Intent for the acquisition was signed on December 14, and the final agreement was executed two weeks ago. The agreement is subject only to final governmental approval. No purchase price for the transaction was disclosed.
  "These are very exciting times for Viking," says Dale Person, vice president, market support. "One of the things that we have been very successful with that has been a very important part of our branding strategy is not only merchandising our commercial cooking appliances, but extending that to the complete commercial-type kitchen for the home. By being able to now make our own refrigerators, this will take us to a new level in our branding strategy."
  Peter Alexander, senior executive vice president at Goodman, said that production of the product line at Amana will cease at the end of April. Because this product line represents a very small percentage of Amana's overall production, Alexander said that no employees will be displaced as a result of the sale.
  Fred Carl, Jr., president and CEO of Viking said, "We're very pleased with this purchase. It has been our stated goal for sometime to bring our refrigeration production in-house at the earliest possible date, and this will greatly speed up that process. This represents another significant step in our plans to become the premier, full kitchen manufacturer of ultra premium appliances in the major appliance. industry."
  The asset sale includes the production machinery, cooking and other equipment presently used by Amana to produce the built-in product line in its vast refrigeration plant in Amana, Iowa. Viking will move the built-in refrigeration operation to the new facility adjacent to its cooking products plant in Greenwood where Viking is headquartered. The company hopes to begin production of the product line in Greenwood sometime in July. Viking anticipates adding between 75 and 100 new employees over the next 18 months as a result of the purchase, and employment is expected to increase from that point as the company expands the product line and sales volumes increase.